KZN Tourism & Film - Film in KZN

What KZN Tourism & Film - Film in KZN does

KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority (operating under the DBA "Film in KZN," formerly the KZN Film Commission) is a provincial statutory body established under the KZN Film Act No. 3 of 2010 and overseen by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA). The Authority's mandate is to develop KwaZulu-Natal as a film production hub. It delivers an integrated portfolio of services: (i) film funding across four categories — Development, Production, Marketing/Distribution, and Markets & Festivals — conditioned on a minimum 70% local spend (or 25% with funding ceilings); (ii) a Bursary Programme for film students at accredited KZN tertiary institutions; (iii) the SMME Incubation Programme supporting women- and youth-owned film companies; (iv) the KZN Film Cluster physical facility with edit suites, a sound studio, training rooms and a 42-seat cinema; (v) a Crew and Service Providers Portal (137+ crew profiles listed); (vi) an interactive locations map; (vii) film permit coordination via the Durban Film Office and other KZN municipalities; (viii) the Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards; and (ix) commissioned research reports.

Name

KZN Tourism & Film - Film in KZN

Legal name

KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority

Website

https://kznfilm.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority is a provincial government film commission that funds, trains, and supports film production in KZN through grants, permits, crew directories, and a physical film cluster facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Commission Services

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD), On-Lot Location Services & Permitting Coordination (MPADAIAG), Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Film commission services
• Film funding programs
• Film permit assistance
• Crew directory platform
• Film industry development

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Film Fund Disbursements: Government-granted film fund distributed through four categories: Development Funding, Production Funding, Marketing and Distribution, and Markets and Festivals. Funding is provided as grants to qualifying productions that meet KZN spend requirements (70% of production budget, 50% of development budget in KZN).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority is a provincial government film commission that promotes KwaZulu-Natal as a film production destination. It administers film funding across four categories (development, production, marketing/distribution, and markets/festivals), coordinates film permits for public property, maintains an online crew and service provider directory, and operates skills development programs including bursaries, learnerships, and SMME incubation. The authority acts as the central liaison for both local and international productions seeking to film in the province.

Product overview

KZN Tourism and Film Authority operates as a provincial government film commission providing a comprehensive suite of services to develop the film industry in KwaZulu-Natal. The portfolio includes film funding programmes (development, production, marketing/distribution, markets/festivals), the bursary programme for film students, SMME incubation for women and youth-owned companies, the Film Cluster facility with editing suites and studios, a Crew and Service Providers Portal for industry networking, Training & Development programmes including SETA-accredited learnerships, film permit assistance, the Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards, interactive location mapping, and commissioned research reports. The organization acts as a catalyst for transformation, job creation, and sustainability in the local film sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KZN Film Cluster: A facility providing home base for filmmakers including edit suites, meeting rooms, training facilities, and cinema space.
• Crew and Service Providers Portal

Products and services

• Film Funding Services Government grant funding for qualifying film productions in four categories: Development Funding, Production Funding, Marketing and Distribution, and Markets and Festivals. Requires projects to be located in KwaZulu-Natal, culturally relevant to the region, portraying Zulu culture, and shot in KZN with 70% of production budget spent locally.
• Bursary Programme Awards bursaries to students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds studying at accredited KwaZulu-Natal tertiary institutions offering NQF Level 6 or 7 qualifications in film and television. Bursaries awarded for academic years including 2024 and 2025.
• SMME Incubation Programme Supports Women and Youth owned Small Medium and Micro Enterprises in the Film and TV Industry through interventions to grow their companies and ensure sufficient sustainable black-owned companies exist in KwaZulu-Natal.
• KZN Film Cluster Provides a home base for filmmakers in KwaZulu-Natal with facilities including hot desks, resource centre, meeting rooms, edit suites (Final Cut 10 and Adobe Suite), sound studio (pro-tools), training room, and a 42-seater cinema.
• Crew and Service Providers Portal Online directory platform connecting crew members and service providers with the film and television industry. Offers profile registration, discovery tools, and verification of professionals across various production categories.
• Training and Development (HCD) Programs Human Capital Development programmes including Schools Programme, External Bursary Programme, Short Skills Training, Learnership Programmes (NQF Level 4 and 5 MICT SETA accredited), Proposal Writing and Pitching Support, and the Film Industry Transformation Initiative (FITI).
• Film Permits Services Assists productions with accessing locations, crew, and service providers. Helps obtain film permits for commercial shoots on public property including roads, streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, and public buildings across KZN municipalities.
• Locations and Interactive Map Online interactive map showcasing filming locations across KwaZulu-Natal with featured locations, submission capabilities for new images, and detailed information about diverse shooting environments.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MICT SETAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority providing accreditation for NQF Level 4 and Level 5 Film and TV Production learnership programmes offered by the Authority.
• Durban Film Office (eThekwini Municipality)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Municipal partner responsible for film permit processing within eThekwini Municipality jurisdiction, coordinating applications with affected City directorates.
• AFDA DurbanmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Film school partner for bursary programme and student development. AFDA is an accredited KwaZulu-Natal tertiary institution offering NQF Level 6+ qualifications in film/TV/animation.
• Durban University of Technology (DUT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Tertiary institution partner for bursary programme. DUT is an accredited KwaZulu-Natal institution offering NQF Level 6+ qualifications in film and television production.
• Creative Arts CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015KwaZulu-Natal based tertiary institution partner for film education and career pathway development.
• University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Public university partner for film education and research collaboration in KwaZulu-Natal.
• Centre for Fine Art Animation and Design (CFAD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015KwaZulu-Natal based institution offering creative arts and design education relevant to film industry skills development.
• Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) / dticcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015National government department administering Foreign Film and Television Production incentives, SA Film & TV Production incentives, and tax allowance programmes (Section 120 of Income Tax Act).
• National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015National film funding body providing Education and Training, Development, Production, and Marketing/Distribution funding categories for South African film industry.
• Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Parent government department overseeing the KZN Tourism and Film Authority. The Authority is accountable to EDTEA, which provides strategic direction and operates the Film Industry Transformation Initiative (FITI) partnership for skills development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF): South Africa's national film funding and policy body, listed as a Core partner to KZN Tourism & Film Authority. Operates complementary Development, Production, and Marketing funding categories and is the upstream counterpart for provincial commissions.
• FilmLA: Non-profit film office managing permits, locations, and production support for Greater Los Angeles. Closest international analogue to KZN Tourism & Film Authority on the permit-and-location-services dimension, providing on-the-ground servicing at scale.
• New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC): National-level statutory film commission providing funding, incentive administration, location marketing and capability development. Comparable international model to KZN Tourism & Film Authority given KZN's similar mix of incentives, locations, and skills programmes.
• Screen Australia: Australian national screen funding and policy agency combining funding, talent development, and industry research. Mirrors the multi-pronged structure of KZN Tourism & Film Authority across funding, training (bursaries/SMME), research, and awards.

Regional players

• Cape Town Film Studios: Largest purpose-built film studio complex in South Africa, located in Cape Town. Comparable to the KZN Film Cluster facility in offering dedicated production infrastructure and edit/post services, but anchors the Western Cape competitive hub.

Direct peers

• Gauteng Film Commission: Provincial film commission for Gauteng province in South Africa, providing film funding, permits, location support, and crew facilitation. Direct counterpart to KZN Tourism & Film Authority within the same national funding ecosystem under NFVF and dtic.
• Wesgro Film and Media (Western Cape Government): Western Cape provincial investment and trade promotion agency that includes film/media promotion, servicing international productions on Cape Town locations. Direct peer competing with KZN for the same South African film production share.
• Durban Film Office (eThekwini Municipality): Municipal-level film office responsible for issuing film permits within eThekwini/Durban — the same territory the KZN Authority operates in. Co-ordinates on permits and is a Core municipal partner of the Authority.

Others

• Industrial Development Corporation (IDC): South African state-owned development finance institution listed as a Core financial partner of KZN Tourism & Film Authority, providing debt/equity/venture capital to film and broader industrial projects. Adjacent ecosystem participant and potential co-funder of productions.
• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF): Major international film festival that the Authority actively uses for Calls for Proposals and filmmaker promotion. Industry-facing platform relevant to the Authority's festivals/markets funding category and international marketing motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VisitKZN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KZNTourism
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitKZN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/filminkzn
• Instagraminstagram.com/kznfilm
• TikToktiktok.com/@visitkzn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KZN Tourism & Film - Film in KZN